A delegation headed by Administrative State Secretary Lajos Fodor visited the troops stationed in the Balkans from 14 to 17 December. During his stay Lajos Fodor had talks with Deputy Minister of Defence of Bosnia Herzegovina Mrs Marina Pendes and met the Commander of Sarajevo EUFOR HQ and the Multinational Battle Group-West.

The primary purpose of the State Secretary’s visit has been to be informed about the life and working conditions of the soldiers deployed in the Balkans. He has seen Camp Butmir of HDF EUFOR Contingent and Camp Peja of the Multinational Battle Group-West. He has met the soldiers at the NATO and EU HQ and has received reports of the senior officers. On 14 December Lajos Fodor conducted talks with Major General Bernhard Bair, Commander of EUFOR. Afterwards he discussed the possibility of bilateral military cooperation with Deputy Minister of Defence of Bosnia Herzegovina Mrs Marina Pendes. Furthermore the Administrative State Secretary met Lóránt Balla, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kosovo, Colonel Carlo Emiliani, Commander of Multinational Battle Group-West and Major General Erhard Bühler, Commander of KFOR.

As a result of the work accomplished by HDF KFOR Contingent CIMIC Group Administrative State Secretary Lajos Fodor donated more than fifty wood burning stoves worth four thousand Euros to five schools in Gjakove, Kosovo on 17 December.

As it is known, Hungary has strong historic, cultural and ethnic ties with the West Balkan region. More than four hundred Hungarian soldiers serve in the NATO and EU-led peacekeeping operations .There are 170 troops stationed in Bosnia Herzegovina and nearly 250 troops are deployed in Kosovo.

Translated by Dóra Darnyik